THE NEW COURT.

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 86, 13 April 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE NEW COURT.

The problem of the hour is (says the Outlook), What effect will the new reign have on Society? "The old order changes." But does it? Frankly, I doubt it. True, the staid and solemn decorum of our Court, a* Teutonised by the late Prince Consort in the 'sixties, is gone for ever. The restrictions which then hemmed in presentations would never have permitted the daughters of new millionaires or the wives ot successful moneylenders to go to Court. In the days oftho crinoline such pretensions would have-, been satirised . with the virulence which distinguishes, the papers of the period. T^ o-day the press in modified, and the benefits of Court — such as they are— are extended to all ladies of untarnished reputation. The personal character must pass the Lord Chmnberlain's oflico the owner passes The throne. And it is an error to think that the permanent officials are lax ceuaws. Ma&y a quiet hint has been given to people of doubtful reputation moving, in the vest sets that their presence at a Dmviiugroom i% not desirable. These 'are the people who iccaaioaully mention that they really will nob waste money on a Court train ; but they will glaa.y give £500 to a charity in order to sell at tha same stall as Royalty at some fashionable bazaar. Having niade their courtesy at a drawingroom, i the majority of people presented sink into oblivion as far ks Royal entertainments are concerned. It la, a popular fallacy that the act of inscribing your name in the books at Buckingham Palace and Marlborough House may possibly lead to an invitation *to the yearly garden party. The hope inspires" numberless I ambitious spirits to drive in hired carriuges and four-wheelers to inscribe t»heir signature with tireless energy, year in,year out, only to retire baffled and indignant on seeing ninongpt those invited the name of some mere acquaintance whose

pretensions to recognition weie considerably slighter thun dieu- own. Money always has been tuad always will bo au important factor iv social advancement. Five hundred down for n Royalty to dinner, & thousand if he stays to an evening party afterwords, id on offer which in*ny 'an impecunious peeress has been unable to rosi*b when made by a determined aspirant to social success. The peeress induces the Royal personage to attend the. party ; if he inertly shako* hands with the nostoss aad retires to * private sittingroom with, his own set immediately After dinner, it is not tha fault of the peosress. She has pocketed tha cheque, and the account of the party haying Iseen duly ckronialed in all the Society p&pors, nobody minds what tha hostess thought, unless she has a husband, who being presumably vulgar will, no doubt, ! make many whplly unnecessary remarks. A great deal is being written just now about the Marlborough House set and the Court sefc, and the question is asked, Will the former be promoted to the Buckingham x-alace set, or will they be put aside? Henry V. on the throno di - , carded the friends of Prince Hal, but Ge»rge IV. . kept the coterie of the Regency. As a matter of fact, historical anally is not the least use, and in this case it is absurd to cite precedents. England recognises that the throne has been ascended by a singularly wise and tactful man of the world. He ia far too generous and good-hearted to forget old friends, but fa^ too sagacious to let the Court become a clique. The Marlborough House set, whioh represented wit, youth, and beauty, will become merged in a" large and comprehensive Court such as England hias not possessed since the days of Elizabeth. The King will look to the interests of all classes, and, as he knows that Court entertainments are good for trade, he is sure to gratify the genial hospitality he has always displayed at Sandringham. The Court will now be chiefly uL London instead of at Windsor, bub the traditions of the "good Queen Victoria" ore in no way likely to be destroyed by her devoted successor. The wisdom of our Sovereign and his sense of what is suitable impresses all who have met him since his accession. Just as the King of Italy made his mark at once, so the King of England has already set the seal of fulfilment on the best wishes felt for him by his subjects. FABLES FOR THE FAIR. THE WOMAN WHO HELPED HER HUSBAND. There was once a Woman whose Husband Depended on the State of the Market for his Daily Toast. One Day he Appeared before Her with a Sad Countenance. "All is Over, my Dear,'' sajd he. Wheat is 'Way Down, and I doubt if after To-morrow Aye shall have Mora than Ten Thttiisand a Year to Live On. I am Sorry that I Married you to Drag you Dpwn to This, but • I must TeU you Sooner or Later. ,1 am a Ruined Man." "Nay, do not Lose Heart," said his Wife. "Can you not Speculate Further?" "I cannot," he replied, " for I have Lost my Nerve. My Friends Urge Mo to Throw what I Have into Copper, but I Dare Not. Five Thousaud a Tear would Hardly buy Croquettes for Two. I would Botter Keep what I have Saved from the Smash." . > "At any rate," said she, como Out and Have some Lunch. Let us go to Sherry's and get a Nice Little Bird ; then you will Feel Better." "Bird!" cx«iaunod her Husband. "Un.happy Woman, if you see anything better than Broiled Chiakcn and Beet a la Mode for the Rest of our Life, you will Do Well, lv my present Frame of Mind I would suggest" a Night Lunchcart." "Let us have One Good Meal, at least," urged his Wife, "before we Die to the World. I have Twenty -Dollars in my Purse. I will Buy our Lunch with that. After that the Night-lunch." "Very Well, for the Last Time," replied her Husband. They then went to an expensive Restaurant and Ate a more than Satisfactory Luncheon. At the end of it her Husband said : — "I think Better of that Copper than I Did." Th«n he went Back to Wall Street and Made Sixty Thousand Dollars iv Thirty-eight Minutes. This^ teaches us that Digestion is the Better Part of^ Valour. THE WOMAN WiiO BELIEVED IN EARLY RISING. There, was once a Woman who Felt that her Husband stayed Qut too Late at Night. She therefore Devised a Plan to Cure him of this. Hor Plan was to Rise Early in order to Insure his Retiring Eaily. "Only in this Way will he be able ta Get Enough Sleep," she said. Her Husband, who usually Endeavoured to Please her, rose Without Complaint at Six O'Clock, but Continued to slay Out Late. Perceiving that her Purpose was not Accomplished, the Woman changed the Hour to Five O'clock. "The Morning Hours are the Best for Work," she said, "and I understand that the Morning Air possesses Great Virtues. " Her Husband objected, but Rose at Five, a* she Wished. ; Still he continued to Como In, Late. Then tho Woman fixed the Hour at Four-thirty. "I have always «njoy«d Seeinrg the Sun Rue," she said. ■ "In that Cuse," said" her Husband decidedly, "I Shall Not go to bed At All, Since it woukl Not be Worth my While. I will", Slay up All Night and tnke my Sleep at My Office in the Afternoon, So We will have Breakfast at Three O'clock, if you like." - ; This taaohea us that the Early Worm will Tura. TSE WOMAN WHO COULD NOT HELP HERSELF. There' was once a Woman who had Never Ldarned how t© Swim, although she Went iv Bathing -every day in Summer. She had a Friend who had Acquired this Art with Some Trouble, and was vary Proud of her Proficiency in it. "It is Absurd," said this Friend, "to Live near tho Water and , not Swim. It makes you very Attractive to Good Swimmers if you can Go v Out with them, and they do Not Feel' that vau are a Drag on their 'Pleasures. What would you Do in Case you Fell off the Pier? Now, Watch me I" With these words she Dived off into the Water and Swam about By Herself. "It is a Good Thing to have a Woman Swim* so Well," said one of the Men near by. "Now, if any of the Children fall Into • the Water, she can Rescue them." Jusl then the Woman who Could Not help Herself, uttered a Scream and Fell into the Sea. Instantly Five Men leaped' in to Rescue Her, and Spent the Rest of tho Day Resuscitating her and Eu«juiriug How she W,as, leaving the Swimmer to Dive by Herself. This teaches us that "Nothing Succeeds like Distress. THE THOUGHTFUL MOTHER AND THE TIMID- YOUi\G MAN. There was once a Woman vrho was, Very Anxious to Huve hef Daughter' Well Married. For this -Purpose she Selected an Eligible Young Man who had but One Fault. This Fault was Great Timidity. If he had Not been so Timid he would have Been Acquired by somebody Long Since," snid the . omans Friends, "and it is Not Likely that your Daughter, who has a very Haughty Appearance, would

Succeed where So M«ny of Us have Failed; for We also Have Daughters." But the Thoughtful .Mother refused to Listen to these Sueers. "I hare Mado-a Study of These Matters," she said, "and I hit'v.o Observed that your Efforts are Put Foi'th at the Wrong Time. You Entertain young Man at Summer Places, where Competition is far Toe Keen, and in the Winter Season, when Men are- for Toe Bu«y. I have ■> BtUar Plan." In Accordance with this Plan, she did Net go Away for the Summer, but Stay«d in Town. Towards the end of August she Invited the EUgibla Young M,an to Dinner. He Accepted eagerly, Tor he had been. Living ia Restaurants, mid Depended largely upon Rnof Gardens for his Entertainment. He therefore Fully Appreciated the Society of the Thoughtful Mother and Her Daughter. In Fagt, at the End of the Evening he Proposed for the Hand of the Latter, which was Kis Immediately. "How many Summers I have Spent Toiling in the City with No such Home as This!" ho exclaimed 1 thankfully. So- they were all Pleased. This teaches us that the Well-dressed Woman must Not Despise l the Summer Bargain Sa*!es. THE WOMAN AND HER NIECES. There was once a Woman who had Two Nieces. One Day she Called them Both to her and Spoke, as follows : — '- ''If you will Remove those Birds from your Hats," sha said, "I will give Each of you a Beautiful Live Bird in a Neat Cage. They will Carol and Twitter all Day, and' you will not have the Debasing Consciousness of having Destroyed J-he Life' of a Living Creature. Moreover, by Trimming your Hats with Ribbon Loops you will Present a far more Attractive Appearance. If anything Disgusts a Man, it is the Cruelty of Women' vn this Regi»rd." • ' r I shall bo Glad to Do as you Sviggest," said One Niece. ' "And I shall, do No Such Thing/ said the Other. "To Begin with, I had Just as Soon Adorn a Hat as a Cage, if I were a Bird. And what is More, to tha Purpose, tha Ha^ is Very 'Becoming to me As it Is." "Then I will Give your Sister both tha birds," said her Aunt. Later on a Young Man begged the Aunt to Introduce him' to her Niece. "Which one?" said she. "The One with the Yellow Wing in her Hat," leplied the Young Man. "I did Not Notice any Other. "My Other Niece has a far Better Disposition," said the Woman, "and a much Kinder Heart.- She would Not take the Life oi Harmless Birds, but keeps Hers in a Cage, and is Devotedly Attached to Them. Would you not Prefer to meet Her?" "I think Not," replied the Young Maa. ,"I Especially Admired the One with the Yellow Wine. A U(^ Personally Ido Not Care for Birds as Pets. I think they aro Noisy and, Messy." This teaches us that a Bird in the Hat is Worth Two in the Cage. — Josephine Daskaan.